05/17/2010 by Sarah Elbert
I’m not talking about Delta’s new “free first checked bag” policy if you’ve got a SkyMiles credit card, though that is pretty sweet (and I say that even though I’m biased). Nor am I talking about how some airlines are now charging for carry-ons. I’m talking about those other “carry-ons,” aka children. Our sweet offspring, who are like jack-in-the-boxes on the verge of springing the minute we get them in the car/cab on the way to the airport. The potential for embarrassment and humiliation hangs over us like dark clouds that may or may not hold downpours. Or maybe that’s just me.
Luckily, more and more airports now come with family-friendly amenities (see “Wheels Up: Travel in the May issue). I don’t travel with my 3-year-old daughter very often, but sometimes the Florida beach beckons, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to be prepared. Here are my essentials:
- Food: My daughter is drawn to sweet foods like they’re drugs. Normally I try to keep the sweet stuff to a minimum, but in this case I’m a believer in the “carrot” method, so I like to carry plenty of potential rewards for good behavior. She’s partial to “gummy treats,” those fruity snacks that aren’t quite as bad as candy. She also loves goldfish, crackers, teddy grahams and other bite-sized snacks. And they all come in convenient travel pouches.
- Entertainment: Whoever invented the travel DVD player is a genius. You can rent them at the airport, but I’d invest in one if you travel often. They’re also great for the car if you don’t happen to have a “swagger wagon” already equipped with multiple DVD screens. Books and baby dolls and travel games and cars and rubber dinosaurs are great, too, but nothing puts your kids into a soothing state of zoned-outness like a good Elmo/Dora/Tinkerbell/Bee Story DVD. A good pair of kids’ headphones is also priceless.
- Extra clothes: This is probably the worst thing to forget because you might not be able to buy more diapers, pants or underwear at the airport. Bring more than you think you’ll need. Seriously. Brush up on Murphy’s Law.
- Gear: I don’t suggest bringing your biggest stroller, but if you’ve got one with a tray, it’s great for keeping little ones occupied. If you’re planning to bring a car seat onboard rather than renting one from the car rental or checking it (in which case you can buy a special carrying case or follow my lead and use a garbage bag), try out the Go-Go Kidz Travelmate, which turns your carseat into a stroller. Pretty cool. If you’ve got older kids, a cool rolling backpack they can pull on their own will help lighten your load.
- Calmness: Easier said than done. Give yourself a head start by keeping your travel docs within easy reach. If you’ve got an infant, keep in mind that a small baby’s cries are so much more preferable to a toddler who’s having a temper-tantrum (no consolation if you’ve got a toddler). Also remember that many of the people around you have children of their own and have been through this before. Chances are your anxiety will be for naught, and your kids will be little angels. But if not, remember: This too shall pass.
About Sarah Elbert
As executive editor of Delta Sky, Sarah Elbert lassos the best writers she can find to cover the world—as well as contributing some prose of her own. Before coming to Sky, Sarah was editorial director of magazines including Northwest WorldTraveler and Carlson Wagonlit Travel's Postcards. She has been a newspaper editor, a freelance writer and an Associated Press reporter, riding with the White House travel pool (back in the Clinton days) and covering everything from natural disasters to a cat kidney transplant. Sarah has written for The New York Times, the New York Post, the New York Sun—but not the NY Daily News. She now lives in Minneapolis, which she finds lovely and underrated, but does occasionally miss Manhattan and the Staten Island Ferry. Sarah would like to think she could again go backpacking across Europe, and she still loves to travel, but she knows that train has left the station. It's just so much quicker to fly.
About Deborah Caulfield Rybak
Senior editor Deborah Caulfield Rybak interviewed the Who’s Who of Hollywood during her years as an entertainment industry reporter at the Los Angeles Times. She still prefers writing about the arts to almost any other journalistic activity, so it’s a good thing we’ve got her on that beat at Sky. She’s pocketed numerous journalism awards and co-written three books.
But that’s just her journalistic cred: she’s also worked as an FM deejay in Aspen, a speechwriter in Washington and an environmental film festival director in Colorado. She considers herself happiest when she’s out of town—and out of cellphone range. She’s hitchhiked across Kenya, spent the night atop a pyramid in Central America, hovered face-to-mandible with giant manta rays during a night dive in Hawaii and hiked the High Atlas mountains in Morocco. Still left on her to do list: Bhutan and marlin fishing.
About Liz Doyle
After a few years navigating the trenches of New York's fashion scene as a stylist assistant at Harpers Bazaar, fashion editor Liz Doyle is excited to be back in her childhood hometown of Minneapolis. When she isn't scouting the latest trends in fashion and travel, she moonlights at a local Parisian brasserie where she says "welcome" and "enjoy" a lot and occasionally tries to improve her French. Though her foray to the editorial side of the magazine industry is a new one, she welcomes the challenge and can't wait to see what this new adventure holds.
About Amanda Welshons
Associate online editor Amanda Welshons maintains the web and social media presence of Delta Sky. She enjoys using new media and exploring how different platforms enhance the reader experience. Based in Minneapolis, Amanda has several destinations on her bucket list including London, Paris and Sydney. She just spent a blissful week in St. Lucia for her honeymoon, and can't wait for upcoming trips to Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver and New York. When she’s not in the office, she's a pop culture junkie, soaking up as many movies, television shows and magazines as possible.